Propulsion of motor-vehicles.



H. PIEPER. PROPULSION 0P MOTOR VEHIGLES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23,1911.

1,026,827 Patented May 21, 1912.

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H. PIEPER. PROPULSION OP MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED umzs, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912. A B C 2 SHEETS-11331 2. 6 4 v I r rice.

HENRI PIEPEB, 0F LIE-GE, BELGIUM.

?RQPULSION fill MOTOR-VEHICLES.

, Specification of Letters "Eatent.

Patented May 211, 1912.

Application filed Januaryfid, 1911. Serial Ho. 6%,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRI PIEPER, subject of the King of Belgium,residing at Liege, Belgium, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to the Propulsion or Motor-Vehicles; and Ido hereby declare the following to he a lull, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to power driven vehicles which are selfcontained, that is,

which have no external source of power supply, and has particularutility when applied to those arrangements employing an electric motorand storage battery and in which a recharging of the storage battery cantake place at such times as the motors are driven as generators by themovement of the vehicle,

The invention is applicable either to systems in which a storage batteryalone is employed, or in which a battery is used in connection with agenerator driven by an internal combustion engine, or other suittabletypes-of thermal motor. The recharging of the batteries in these systemstakes place when the vehicle is coasting or running down hill by virtueof its own momentum or weight, and thus driving the motors asgenerators. The recharging current also acts a dynamic brake on themotors, and thus assists the ordinary friction brakes in retarding themovement of the vehicle. The simplest arrangement :tor'recharging ofthis character consists in employing shunt motors, since these becomegenerators justas soon as their terminal voltage exceeds that of thebattery. This rise in voltage may be due either to an increase abovenormal speed or to a strengthening of the holds.

The object of the-present invention is the provision of an improvedcontroller which, while being manipulated to govern thesupply of drivingpower-to the wheels of the vehicle, at the same time automatically reg:ulates the strength of the shunt field of the motor or motors. Thisregulation consists in progressively weakening the field to increase thespeed of the machines when acting as motors, and in's'imilarlyincreasing the field strength of the machines so as to give them theproper voltage, when acting 'as generators.

emergency,

The mechanism and method of connecting the same will be apparent from aninspect-ion ot' the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing my improvedcontroller as appliedto an ordinary electrically driven car employing I a storage battery andshunt motor; Fig. 2 s an elevation of the controller, theinclosmg casingbeing shown in section, and a portion of the control devices of an airbrake system; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the means provided for preventingoperation of the brake lever when the controller is moved from its 03position; Fig. t is a horizontal sectional view through the controller,on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a similar view through the dash potprovided at the lower end of the controller; Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticview showing a slightly difierent form of controller, and illustrating acar equipped with electric brakes, and employing driven mechanismincluding a magnetic clutch.

In the diagram of Fig. l, A represents the normal or 03 position of thecontroller. As the handle is moved so as to shift the drum from A to B,the contact strips on the part 2 engage suitable contact fingers in sucha manner as to armature with the storage battery, first through astarting resistance, and then direct. Meanwhile, it will he noted, allof the resistance in the shunt field circuit is short circuited by thecontact strip of part 3. During this movement hoth parts or the drum 2and 3 move together. Upon further movement in the same direction from toC as indicated by the arrow 6, the sections of resistance are graduallycut into the shunt field circuit by the part 3 of the controller, thusweakening the field, whlle the armature connections remain unchanged,

The motor therefore speeds up. The dash pot 8, however, prevents theoperator from the part 3 will move resistance be gradually cut out ofthe shunt field circuit. If, however, owing to an it becomes necessaryfor the operator to throw the handle suddenly so as to quickly tion 0 to.position A, thus opening the the controller handle so from the positionC toward A, (as indicated by arrow 7) slowly, with the part 2, and theconnect the motor move the part-2 from the posior recharging'currentswhich wouldcflow during reverse movement of the controller section 2were the full field strength instantly restored when the machine wasrunnin at hi h s eed.

atnral y t e generation of current is I only possible to a practicalextent when the lid of the dynamo changes quickly automatically returnmotorman moves the handle slowly from the position 6 to the position B.lln case of a quick return of the handle, it the two sections of thecontroller are rigidly connected to the handle in the ordinary'way, thefield from a minimum, (position (3) to a maxlmum (position B), andconsequently the voltage of the dynamo becomes many times that of thebattery, the speed of the armature remaining practically a maximumduring the'quiclr movement from G to B. There would then be produced anexcessively great char 'ng current which would destroy both the atteryand the armature, although it might only last for a short time, onaccount of the armature circuit being broken, which happensat theposition A. llt is absolutely necessary, therefore, to avoid so great anin crease in the charging current; this result is obtained, according tothe invention, b virtue of the fact that the drumt cont-r ling the fieldof the dynamo, is independent of the handle during its return movement.Such movement being made at slow ed has the efi ect that durin the partC- of the rapid return of the audio, the field as well as the speed willbe but slightly sliderent from their value in thepcsition C (maximumspeed, minimum field). The recharging current therefore cannot assume adengerous value.

' Referring to Figs. 1 to inclusive, it will be seen that my improvedcontroller drum comprises two parts 2 and 3, the part 2 being rigidlyconnected with the usual handle d. the part 3 is disconnected from thepart 2 and is adapted to be turned thereby through the medium of afinger '5, carried by the part 2,.engagin a projection 29 carneed by thepart 3. spring 9 serves to the part as normal position when released,and. a dash pot 8 serves to retard the movement of the drum 3 in bothdirections. 10 represents the motor, which is geared to the axle 11 inthe usual-manner. 13 indicates the storage battery which suppliescurrent to the motor. 15 represents the handle of the eneers valve ofany suitable air brake system. This handle has an; openin therethroughinto which a bolt 1% is adapted to sistance in the s incense? v fit.This bolt is slidably mounted in the controller casmg, and is providedon its inner end with an anti-friction roller which rides upon a cam 16carried on the controller shaft. This cam has a notch into which theroller carried by the locking bolt is adapted to fit when the controlleris moved to the od' position. A coil spring normally tends to move thelocking bolt to the retracted or inoperative position shown in thedrawing. It will be obvious therefore that whenever the controller ismoved from the oil position, the cam 16 will serve to project thelocking bolt 17 so that its outer end engages the opening in the brakelever 15;, and thus locks it against operation. Therefore it isimpossible for the brakes to be applied except when. the controller isin ofi' position. v

In Fig. 6 l have shown another arrangement for accomplishing the samegeneral result. In this arrangement I employ parts '2 and 3 of thecontroller as before, and simibut the contact strips are larly connectthem, differently arranged. in this figure I have shown the motorconnected to, the driving axles by means of a magnetic clutch 20. motormay therefore be started and stopped independently of the axles, bymeans of anordmary rheostat 21.. 22 indicates a solenoid for operatingthe usual friction brakes. From an inspection '01? the circuitsillustrated in Fig. 2 it resents the normal controller. en --oved from Ato B in the direction of arrow 6, the drum 2 serves to progressivelyenergize the circuit of the magnetic clutch and thus govern theapplication of driving power to the wheels, while the part '8 reduces noeli'ect, the reunt field being all short circuitcd. in moving from B tot}, however, thisresistance is gradually inserted thereby progressivelyincreasin the speed of the motor. To stop the ve icle, the controller ismoved back to position A thereby deenergizlng the clutch and thusdisconnectnew the motor -from the wheels, and upon a lurthermovement ofthe controller from A to D in the direction of arrow 7, the circult ofelectric-brake-ma et' 22 is progresslvely energized, there y appl mg thebrakes. The brakes are released hy bringmg the controller-hack to theposition It will be noted, however, that, as before, the brakes cannotbe set aslong as driving power is being applied to the wheels of thevehicle.

What I claim is 11. la an electrically propelled vehicle, a shunt woundmotor for driving the same, means for controlling the application ofdriving ower tothe wheels of the vehicle, means for progressivelyweakening the shunt field of the motor to increase the The will be seenthat A rep- I o on" position of the speed, and means for automaticallyrestor-.

controller for governing the application of.

driving power to the wheels of the vehicle,

said controller also comprising means for progressively weakening theshunt field of the motor to increase the speed, means for automaticallyrestoring the full strength of such field when the controlleris moved toofi position, and the-wheels thereby entirely deprived of driving brakesfor the said wheels, and means associated with said controller forpreventing the setting of the brakes except when the wheels are freefrom driving power.

3. In an electrically propelled vehicle, a shunt wound motor for drivingthe same, a storage battery for supplying current to said motor, meansfor controlling the application of drivin power to the wheels of thevehicle, means or progressively weakening the shunt field of the motorto increase the speed, and means for automatically restoring the fullstrength of said field, whereby, when the vehicle is coasting, thevoltage of the motor acting as a generator will be sufficientto'recharge said battery.

4. In an electrically propelled .vehicle, a shunt wound motor fordriving the same, a

power, frlctlon cont-roller consisting of two parts, onepart serving togovern the application of driving power to the wheels of the vehicle,and the other serving to regulate the strength of the shunt field ofsaid motor, a connection between said parts whereby they move togetherin. one direction but are capable of independent movement in the otherdirection, and means for retarding the movement of one of said parts.

5. In an electrically propelled shunt wound motor for driving the same,a controller consisting of two parts, one part serving to govern theapplication of driving power to the wheels of the vehicle and the otherpart serving to regulate the strength of the shunt field of said motor,a connection between said parts whereby they move together in onedirection but whereby the first mentioned pendent of the other in theopposite direction, means for automatically restoring the last mentionedpart to normal position when disengaged from the first part, and meansfor retarding the movement of said second partin both directions.

In testimony" whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, HENRI PIEPER.

. Witnesses:

VICTOR HAMAL, L. BEROK.

vehicle, a

part may move inde-

